Better Times Ahead
by LittleMissDisappear
Summary: Kiara and Kovu were together, the prides were united, there was peace. But adapting to a peaceful life in the Pride Lands would not be as easy as the former Outsiders had thought.
1. Chapter 1

**Hi :)** **This time I'll do a short story. After the ending of LK2 I always wondered what happened next, after Kiara and Kovu's "wedding". Here I'm going to try to answer that; to show how it was for the former Outlanders to become Pridelanders.**

 **Hope you enjoy!**

* * *

 **Better Times Ahead - Chapter One**

The inhabitants of the Pride Lands were mostly surprised when they saw the four lions that stood at the promontory of Pride Rock. The royal family was there, as usual. But between King Simba and Princess Kiara was a young dark-furred lion with green eyes… the same lion that Simba had exiled a day ago, and the same that had been rejected and insulted by all of them as he was driven out of their land. The Pridelanders had never seen such a sudden turn of events. Behind the rulers and the ones who would succeed them were more lionesses, and it was easy to tell that the most aggressive-looking were the new ones. Regardless of their initial weariness, the animals jeered when the lions roared in unison, as they understood what this meant.

The conflict with the Outlanders was over.

Exhausted from the recent battle, the lions rested at Pride Rock until the next day and for the first time, the former Outsiders slept peacefully, without the freezing cold or the termites crawling on them. But despite sleeping well, they did not sleep much and were already up when the rest of the pride started their day. Even Kovu, who had been staying there for longer than the newcomers, was not used to oversleeping.

The days that followed were quiet and normal, allowing the lionesses from the outcast pride to interact with their new clan sisters and learn of the laws of the Pride Lands. Their new home had more rules than they had expected, but they did not give it much thought, for if there was one thing they had learned in the Outlands, it was to obey their leader.

* * *

Because her First Hunt had to be re-scheduled, Kiara was preparing once again, this time with the lion who made her be glad of being stuck in that wildfire that ruined her hunt the first time.

"Remember what I told you," Kovu whispered, crouched beside her in the tall golden grass. "Relax…"

Kiara heard him but did not respond. She was focused on the zebra herd ahead of her. She took a silent breath and before she made any move, she glanced at the ground to make sure there was nothing she could trip over. She took one step, without the herd detecting her presence, but when she tried to get closer the herd became alert and ran off. Kiara sighed and rose from the ground. Kovu approached her in confusion.

"What was that? You were doing good, even I couldn't hear you." he told her in disbelief.

Kiara chuckled. "I don't think it was me. Zebras tend to panic and run at the slightest thing."

Having grown up hunting smaller creatures, Kovu did not know about the zebras' particular habit until now.

"Oh." he muttered before turning to Kiara. "Well, in that case, you did great. I think you're ready."

Kiara smiled and nuzzled him. "Thanks for the lessons."

"After this I'll be the one getting all the lessons." Kovu said with Kiara still leaning on his chest. He was thinking about his recent discovery about the zebras and wondered if that was part of the role he would have someday.

"You'll be fine." Kiara reassured him. "Besides, it will be fun. We'll get to attend many events together… it'll be a good way to introduce you to the rest of the kingdom."

"Yeah, I guess that sounds nice." Kovu said a little more relaxed.

When she glanced at the spot where the zebra herd had been, Kiara noticed two lionesses standing nearby; two former Outsiders and they seemed to have no intention of hunting. _I hope that's not why the zebras ran…_ she thought.

"What's wrong?" Kovu asked. After a few seconds Kiara looked back at him, her expression more serious.

"Have you talked to Vitani?"

Her mate gave her a puzzled look. "Yeah… why wouldn't I talk to her?"

"Well, a lot has changed in the last few days." she said.

Kovu sighed in realization. "You mean if we talked about… about what happened at the gorge."

"You haven't, have you?" Kiara said, disappointed. "If you don't want to talk to _me_ about it, at least talk to your sister."

"What's the point?" Kovu asked. "I want to move on and so does Vitani."

"You can't keep running from it, Kovu. If my brother and I had gone through what you two went through, we'd talk about it."

Kovu rolled his eyes. "My family's not like yours, and my pride is not like yours either. They just need time."

Kiara nodded in understanding. "Fine, I won't rush you. I'm just worried that they don't feel comfortable here."

"C'mon, all we wanted was to leave the Outlands. It just didn't happen the way we expected." Kovu said, before quickly changing the subject. "Let's get back, we need to plan your First Hunt again."

Although she was not completely satisfied, Kiara walked with her mate back to Pride Rock.

* * *

The lionesses of the pride were resting under the shade of a big tree and the two former Outlander lionesses that Kiara had seen earlier sat with the group.

"What's with the zebras in this place?" one of them asked. Her chipped fang noticeable as she spoke.

"What d'you mean?" asked a scruffy lioness, who was also from the Outlands.

Her friend gestured to the lioness she had arrived with, whose right eye was half shut. "Me and Lazy Eye were hanging around and the herd just ran off."

"Well, you're huntresses, what did you expect?"

"But we weren't hunting."

"They're zebras," said Vitani in a bored tone as she rested on a rock close to them. "They run every time they get spooked out."

Her friend scoffed angrily. "See? They're scared of us!"

"Why wouldn't they be?" muttered another voice that all the lionesses nearby heard. It came from Zuri.

"D'you have a problem?" she snapped.

Sensing her companion's rising anger, Vitani sat up. "Chippy…" she warned, calling her friend by her particular nickname.

Zuri did not seem affected by Chippy's aggression. "They always get scared with… _new_ animals, it's normal." she said with a shrug.

Chippy stood up. "I think you meant they get scared of Outlanders!"

"Judging by that temper of yours, maybe I did." Zuri stood up as well, despite Tiifu's advice to let it go.

The two lionesses' faces were inches from each other. If she were back in the Outlands, Chippy would not hold back the way she was doing now.

"You don't wanna mess with me!" she threatened.

"Try me!" Zuri yelled.

Tiifu ran to them and stood in front of Zuri, blocking her way. "Let's go, Zuri." But her friend did not listen.

"Come, little one!" Chippy teased.

Zuri got past Tiifu and pushed Chippy with one of her paws. The push was not very strong, but it was enough to make the lioness' blood boil. Then Vitani decided to step in before the clawing and the biting started.

"Stop! Right now!" she yelled in Chippy's face.

Chippy growled as she turned away and sat on a rock nearby, her friends telling her to calm down. Vitani glanced at Tiifu and Zuri as they walked away, before giving her clanmate a scowl.

"She started it," Chippy said.

Vitani did not say anything. She just growled in irritation and left.

* * *

 **So, Kiara finished her hunting lessons with Kovu, but she's more concerned about how her mate is dealing with everything that has happened to him while Kovu is trying to avoid the subject as much as he can. I also made a little feud between Zuri and a former Outsider named Chippy (I'll explain that later). I know it was kind of… rushed, but the Outsiders were trained to fight all their lives, so it's not surprising that they get a little aggressive, especially with the pressure of fitting in with a pride that's so different to them. And you know Zuri… she tends to make others mad (even me but I don't hate her).**

 **The names of the Outsiders are all fan made and some of them are well-known (like Dotty, Spotty, etc.) They're basically nicknames based on physical features.**

 **Thanks for reading and stay tuned for Chapter 2! ;)**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

When Kovu and Kiara reached Pride Rock, they found the king, the queen and a familiar face that Kiara recognized immediately.

A broad smile appeared in the princess' face. "Makini?"

The mandrill that had been talking to Simba and Nala turned around and stretched out her arms. "There you are!" Then she ran to Kiara and gave her a friendly hug.

Kovu watched on in confusion, making Simba laugh when he noticed.

"We were just talking about you two." the king told Kovu.

"What are you doing here?" Kiara asked happily. "Aren't you in the middle of your travels?"

"I was," said the full-grown female mandrill, whose enthusiasm had not changed in the least. "But then I heard you chose a mate and I couldn't wait to meet 'im!"

Kiara smiled and stood closer to Kovu. "Makini, this is Kovu –"

Makini gasped excitedly and hugged Kovu, interrupting Kiara. "Oh, I can't believe you're here! It's such a pleasure to meet you, Your Highness!"

Kovu laughed nervously after being called 'Highness'. "Hi, Makini."

"Makini is Rafiki's apprentice." Simba explained. "One day, she will be your royal advisor."

"Really?" Kovu said with surprise before smiling at the mandrill. "Wow, that's great."

"It is. But I have to complete my travels first." Makini pointed out. "As knowledge keeper, I have to gather all the knowledge I can."

"Perhaps you could introduce her to the new lionesses before the hunt, Kiara." Nala suggested.

"Oh, good idea." Makini said. "Then I can head to Rafiki's Tree."

"Sure. Come on, Makini."

After giving a final bow to the king and queen, the future Mjuzi followed Kiara.

* * *

As Makini talked to her about the places she had visited in the last few years, the princess realized that her friend's spirited and talkative nature was just like the day she had met her. But the way Makini spoke about what she had seen outside the Pride Lands and all the things she had discovered made Kiara see how wise the young mandrill was, much more than her first day in the Pride Lands, when she helped to find a water source in the start of one dry season. Kiara was glad that she would have her by her side when it was her turn to reign.

"Um, Kiara, I think we already walked by the huntresses." Makini said in confusion when she realized they were not going where she thought.

"Yeah, I thought we could use the time we have. I need to figure something out first." Kiara answered.

Kiara approached the grazing zebra herd, Makini following her. Muhimu the zebra bowed her head when she saw her and gestured her teenage son, Hamu, to do the same.

"Princess Kiara, what a surprise." the zebra said politely. "And I'm glad to see you back, Makini." she added.

"Hello, Muhimu." Kiara said kindly. "I actually came to ask you something."

Muhimu seemed surprised, both nodded. "Okay…"

"How do you feel about the new lions?" the princess asked with caution.

"Oh. Well, I have to admit we were… surprised when the prides united." Muhimu confessed. "One day we send away an Outlander lion and on the next day he's the future king."

Kiara nodded. "That's why you ran away from two of them earlier this morning?"

Muhimu gulped. "We always run away when we see a lion."

"You didn't run away from me."

"It's very different, Your Highness. A lot of the herds have had bad experiences with the Outlanders when they came to hunt in the Pride Lands." the zebra told her. "We herbivores understand our role in the Circle of Life, but these lionesses' hunting methods can be savage. I have seen them with my own eyes."

Kiara sighed. Her suspicions had been confirmed. "You don't have to be afraid of them, Muhimu. They'll adapt, and you will too."

"I hope you're right." said Muhimu.

And with that, Kiara walked away from the herd, to meet an intrigued Makini.

"Let's go." the lioness' tone was full of disappointment.

"Adapting to a new place is a process. The same happened to me." Makini reassured her as they walked by the watering hole.

Before she could say anything, Kiara saw Vitani by herself in the shade of a tree.

* * *

It was difficult for Vitani to relax hearing the sounds of the Pride Lands. The birds, the running herds, the conversations amongst animals. In the Outlands there was no noise, because in the Outlands there was nothing. She never realized how much she could miss the silence until there wasn't any.

"Tani!" called a voice.

Then Vitani saw Kiara and a female mandrill that was caring a staff approach her. The lioness sighed and stood up.

"Hi, Kiara." she greeted, her voice dull.

Kiara could sense her new sister-in-law was in low spirits, but did her best not to let her know.

"This is Makini, our future advisor." she told her, before addressing Rafiki's apprentice. "Makini, this is Kovu's sister, Vitani."

Makini's face lit up and she hugged Vitani, who seemed startled by the gesture. "Oh, it's so great to see the royal family get bigger!"

"Why aren't you with the rest of the pride?" Kiara asked Vitani. "Is something wrong?"

"There was… kind of an incident." Vitani replied. "Two lionesses got into a fight."

Kiara's eyes widened. "What?"

"It wasn't that bad, none of them attacked." Vitani explained. "But your friend Zuri made a comment to one of my friends, who's _very_ short-tempered."

Kiara closed her eyes in frustration and looked at Vitani. "I'll talk to Zuri."

Vitani nodded. "I should get back. It's time for the hunt." And she left with no other word.

Once she was out of earshot, Makini raised an eyebrow. "I guess Zuri hasn't changed much."

"Tell me about it." Kiara agreed. "This wasn't as easy as I thought it'd be."

"Of course it isn't. A week ago you and the Outsiders were enemies." the mandrill said. "Even I didn't believe it at first when I heard what you and Kovu did. But the hard part is done, you stopped the war, and when you all adapt to the change you'll be like a big happy family."

"Thanks, Makini." Kiara said gently.

Makini put her hand on Kiara's shoulder. "Hey, that's what royal advisors are for."

* * *

Vitani was late for the hunt, which was unlikely of her. She thought that maybe the adrenaline of hunting would distracting the thoughts that were crowding her mind, thoughts that she did not want to have. When Nala saw her approaching, she proceeded to give the instructions. This was the first time the two prides would hunt together after a hunting in small groups or individually in the last few days. As the hunting party was bigger, they would try to take on larger targets. Nala reminded her lionesses of the hunting laws established to all predators in the Pride Lands. It was only permitted to hunt for necessity, to feed oneself and their young. All victims deserved a quick death and it was prohibited to steal the kills from the pride or of any other predator, as well as hunting for sport. The latter meant immediate exile for disturbing the Circle of Life. Although it was never said out loud, Vitani knew these rules were directed to her and her fellow former Outlanders, for her pride had a bad reputation for their ruthlessness when they hunted. She was fully aware of that, and of the fact that the Pridelanders compared their way of hunting with that of the hyenas - the ultimate insult.

But Vitani could not blame Nala for that either. It was true, and the queen was only giving this lecture to ensure that her new lionesses would not get in trouble.

"Any questions?" Nala asked them after she finished her instructions.

One of the former Outsiders, a lioness with light fur and orange eyes raised her claw in the air.

"Yes, uh… can you tell me your name?" Nala asked.

The lioness cleared her throat. "They call me Digger, Your Majesty." she replied respectfully.

Nala stared at her blankly. " _Digger_?"

"That's not her name, Your Majesty." said a lioness with a line of small dots under one of her brown eyes. "Her named is Ngora, we call each other by nicknames."

"But that doesn't sound like a nickname. Not a nice one." Tiifu pointed out with compassionate confusion.

Nala stared at them with curiosity, expecting an explanation. The lioness glanced at Vitani before speaking again.

"Zira didn't bother to learn our names." Then she pointed at her clanmate. "She was called 'Digger' because she used to search food underground in the Outlands. She called me 'Dotty' for the dots on my face and so on, you can ask all of us."

The rest of the lionesses were clearly surprised with this discovery and for the first time in their lives, the new lionesses felt the same. Even Digger had forgotten about her question. Nala looked at Vitani, who bowed her head in shame.

"If you don't mind, we're more used to our nicknames now." Dotty finished.

Nala nodded. "As your queen, I think I must know the names my lionesses were given on the day they were born." she said. "But as a fellow huntress, and a friend, I can call you whatever you want."

The lionesses were satisfied with that and they continued planning the hunt.

* * *

 **To be continued...**

 **I didn't want to introduce Makini until we saw more of her in TLG, but I couldn't resist. I hope I portrayed her well.**

 **Muhimu and Hamu are here as well and Kiara saw the weariness the herds feel toward the new lions. All she wants is for the ex-Outsiders to feel included, but even though it's not as simple as she had thought, she stays hopeful.**

 **Now, the names of the Outsiders. Those names are fanmade, but are not really _names._ Just like Scar was nicknamed after the wound on his eye, the Outsiders were nicknamed for what made them distinguishable, by none other than their cruel former leader, Zira. I think with her obsession to kill Simba and make Kovu into Scar 2.0, Zira wouldn't even bother to learn the names of the pride members that weren't her children and the lionesses just got used to it and kept them. **

**I'll admit I could have given them names but most fans are familiarized with the nicknames (me included) and it would be easier to tell the old and new Pridelanders apart. Finally, kudos to TLG for giving them more diverse designs even if they looked nothing like in the movie.**

 **Thanks for reading!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

Queen Nala spread the huntresses in small groups around the antelope herd. One or two kills would be enough for the pride, but they all knew the risks of hunting this kind of prey. The long horns that many predators had been killed by in the past. This would be the first big hunt the former Outlanders would have in a long time, and they could not be more enthusiastic. All except for Chippy, who had been assigned to the same group as Zuri.

Vitani would also have to work alongside them today and she was not happy either. The queen had obviously learned about the fight and who had stopped it.

"Well, this is not tense at all." she whispered with sarcasm, crouched in the grass between her pride mates.

"I'm still expecting an apology." Chippy said quietly.

"Apology? You're the one who got mad over nothing!" Zuri snapped in a whisper.

"Ugh! I can't believe I have to work with you!" whined the lioness with greyish fur and green eyes.

"And I can't believe _I_ have to work with _you two_." Vitani said as she advanced slowly.

"Do you Outlanders argue in every hunt?" Zuri asked.

"See? She's doing it again!" Chippy told Vitani, who groaned under her breath.

Unaware that three of her lionesses were distracted, Nala stared at the herd from a close distance, blending with the golden grass around her. She and the lioness that accompanied her, Tiifu, had their sights on a big cow. As the two closest to the herd, they would be the first to attack. When she saw Tiifu slowly getting closer, Nala scanned around to see the positions of the rest of the lionesses. Once she was sure everyone was in their place, she waited. Then, with lightning speed, Tiifu jumped from her stalking spot and went after the herd and Nala immediately ran after her and the cow they had targeted. However, this was a fast one, her strong legs making her escape from the multiple lionesses that appeared from the grass as she ran much easier.

Those who lost the cow tried to take on the smaller ones of the herd, but as the antelopes ran, the dominant bull pointed his horns to any lioness that approached. It was noticeable that the new huntresses were more daring and reckless, focusing more on catching the prey than not getting hurt. Dotty's sister, Spotty, got a kick to the jaw by a mother cow while chasing a calf, although it was not strong enough to break it, so she continued her pursuit. When the cow ran past her and her companions, Vitani managed to leap on her back, her claws making deep cuts in the antelope's back as she tried to shake the lioness off while running. Vitani was too far from the throat and the cow was not giving up, so the lioness would hold for much longer.

Still hidden, Zuri and Chippy watched Vitani struggling not to fall.

"I've got an idea." she told Zuri, in a tone that no longer showed animosity.

The cow crashed on another antelope's side and the impact sent Vitani flying to the ground. The lioness groaned as the prey was lost, but was surprised when she saw Chippy and Zuri run past her. It seemed as if they were competing to get the prey first, but surprisingly, they were not. Zuri slowed down while Chippy ran just beside the cow, trying to make her change directions. Then, the cow turned left, focusing on escaping from Chippy, unaware that there was another lioness close to her.

"Now!" Chippy yelled.

Zuri jumped on the cow and grabbed her neck, digging her claws deeper in her skin as she ran. Finally, the cow stopped, exhausted and in a lot of pain, before the young lioness put her out of her misery with a strong bite to the neck. As she caught her breath beside her kill, Zuri realized that had been the first time she pounced on a prey like that. She was impressed.

The next lioness she saw was the one who told her to pounce.

"Good catch." Chippy told her with a gentle smile.

"Good plan." Zuri answered, smiling back.

And thus, just like when the prides stopped the war, the fight between the two lionesses was forgotten.

* * *

Back at Pride Rock, Zazu was telling Simba and Kovu the morning report. However, the young brown lion was not paying attention. He was gazing at the Pride Lands from the height of the promontory.

"Seems like the future king is too distracted to hear what's happening in his kindgom." Zazu commented, catching Kovu's attention.

Kovu snapped out of his thoughts and turned to the hornbill's scowl. "I was listening." he stuttered.

"No need to do that, young master." Zazu said, aware of the lie. "Just keep your feet on earth the next time."

Then, the king's majordomo flew away. Simba approached Kovu, who looked at him apologetically.

"Sorry, I should have listened."

Simba chuckled. "You think I paid attention to my first morning report?" he said, recalling that time when he was more focused on his pouncing skills than Zazu's report to his father. "And you've been here for a few days, you don't need to feel pressured."

"I wish it was that easy, but just by looking at this place, I see everything I'll be in charge of." Kovu admitted.

Simba looked at his heir with sympathy. "I know it's scary, I went through that myself. When I became king I was very young – a little older than you, and I had no idea what I was doing."

"And the Pride Lands were dying," Kovu reminded him.

" _And_ I became a father, not long after." Simba added, but he saw that that did not help the youngster. "But there's always a way, Kovu. I had Rafiki and many other wise subjects for advice, and then the Lion Guard came in. They were of great help to the kingdom when they were here."

Kovu was surprised with the mention of the Lion Guard, whom he had met only once, but had been a lot of trouble for those living in the Outlands.

"They left, right?" he asked with curiosity.

"Yes. A long time ago." Simba replied.

"But they were protecting the Pride Lands. Why would they leave?" The prince consort was a little disappointed that he would not have the support of the legendary team either.

The king sighed. "I don't know." It was a question he asked himself every day, even though he thought he understood. "After Kion grew older… I think being a prince and a hero at the same time was too much for him – so he made a choice."

Simba was looking far into the distance, where his son and his friends had been the last time he saw them, when they left the Pride Lands a few years before Kiara's first hunt. He hadn't heard about them ever since and that was what made dealing with the Guard's departure more difficult.

Kovu looked at his father-in-law with sympathy when he noticed the sadness in Simba's eyes.

"I think they'll come back." he said reassuringly. "After they hear everything that's happened, they will want to see how things are now with their own eyes."

Simba smiled at him. "They'd be very surprised."

Then, the king thought of the last days' events, before the unification of the prides and his smile disappeared.

"What about you, Kovu?" he asked. "How are you holding up?"

There was a pause before Kovu's reply. "Fine, I guess."

"You sure? What about your sister?" Simba inquired.

Kovu rolled his eyes. "You're just like Kiara this morning."

"I know you want to leave it behind you; I tried that for years. But you can't run from the past, no matter how much it hurts." Simba told him, remembering himself in a similar position, living in the jungle with the guilt of something he hadn't done.

It was only after the Outsiders returned to the pride that Simba's hate for his past came to an end. He felt so much better now, and he knew that, with time, Kovu would feel better too.

Simba's heir looked deep into his compassionate stare and nodded.

Not long after the conversation ended, Kiara and Makini joined the male lions and Kovu had the chance to interact more with the future Mjuzi. Then, they witnessed the return of the huntresses with an antelope for lunch. They all seemed in a better mood and closer than before the hunt, as if it had always been that way. Nothing could make Princess Kiara happier.

Now that the differences between the lionesses were gone, the pride was finally working as a whole.

* * *

 **Maybe the lionesses from the unified prides are different, but during a hunt, they are a team, and that's what Zuri and Chippy became when catching the prey. I think (and hope) Zuri will be more mature in the future and cooperate with the rest, unlike in TLG.**

 **Just like Kiara, Simba knows that Kovu's still troubled with everything that happened to him and gives him a little of advice that he gained from Rafiki and his own life experiences. Also, much like I did with Makini, I tried to explain the Guard's absence in LK2.**

 **Writing the hunt was a little more difficult than I expected, but I guess it turned out fine.**

 **Thank you for reading and chapter 4 is coming soon! :)**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

The next morning, Kovu's words about the Lion Guard became true. They were back.

The pride and the royal family were delighted to see them again, with the king even shedding tears of joy as he reunited with his beloved son, who had grown into a strong lion with a bright red mane just like his. They were surprised with the new additions to the pride, especially Kion, who wished he had been there for his family when the conflict with Zira reached its most dangerous point. But now, none of that mattered. They were happy that there was finally peace.

To Kovu, the rest of the day was not only to welcome –and settle some unfinished business with– the Lion Guard, but also to know what it felt like to belong to a real family. While the rest of the pride behaved as usual, he could not help but feel impressed as he witnessed the love and respect the royal family had for each other. For the first time in his life, he got to experience that. And it did not only include the king and queen and their two children, but also the Guard, who had been like a family even before the team was formed, the current Mjuzi and his apprentice, and the pair formed by a meerkat and a warthog that were not only Simba's best friends, but also the ones saved his life. It was the most unusual family he had ever seen, but also a very special one.

The lionesses were no different. After that successful hunt, the members of the different prides got to know each other better and new friendships formed very quickly. All the former Outsiders were now happy in their new home.

But then Kovu realized that while he was enjoying his new family, he forgot about the old one, or rather he forgot about _what was left of it_. He did not have the chance to speak to Vitani the entire day; he did not even remember if he had seen her and it made him feel terrible. She had been his best friend during childhood and who arrived with him to the world… the only member of his biological family that was still alive. Kovu knew he had to do something before their lack of communication grew them apart.

* * *

He found her resting on a big rock, and lied on it beside her. "Hi," he said.

"Hey," she replied, surprised at her brother's presence after a while.

Before the recent tragedies, Kovu had trusted his sister more than anyone, so he went straight to the point.

"Everyone thinks I'm avoiding you." he told her.

Vitani raised her eyebrow. "Aren't you?" she asked. "Cause I am."

"What?" Kovu asked with a frown. "Really?"

"Yeah."

Kovu hesitated. "I just want you to know, I'm not avoiding you… in case you ever felt that way." he assured.

"I know, Kovu." she said.

Kovu was confused with her responses. Was that all he was going to get?

"So… why were you avoiding _me_?" he asked.

"Because I'm an ice-cold ex-Outsider that doesn't wanna talk about her feelings." Vitani replied with sarcasm.

Kovu sighed. "I guess I am one too." he admitted. "But we didn't even look at each other yesterday. If I must have this conversation a million times just to have my sister back, I will."

Vitani nodded and after a few, but long seconds of silence, she looked at him sharply. "I told Mother, about you and Kiara."

The confession caught Kovu off guard. He did not even utter any words.

"It was my turn to spy that night, and I saw you with her. Then I saw you missing a perfect opportunity to kill Simba and I ratted you out." she told him. "Then we planned the ambush."

Kovu had never wondered how did Zira find out about his betrayal and probably wouldn't have if Vitani had not told him the truth.

"I wish I had kept my mouth shut." she said.

"There was no way Mother wouldn't have found out."

"But if things had been a little different, maybe – maybe Nuka wouldn't have died." Vitani concluded sorrowfully. "Nuka didn't have to die."

Kovu did not respond right away. Thinking of his older brother, whom he had cared about despite their differences, despite Nuka had wanted nothing to do with him for being the chosen one, made him feel uneasy. Kovu had always felt bad for him, as he knew Nuka's harsh treatment towards him and his general view about the world were caused by the lack of love and respect Zira gave him. The fact that he had died in the way he did would always sting his siblings' hearts, for the rest of their lives.

"Did you ever think I killed him?" he asked in a weak tone. To his relief, Vitani shook her head, before asking _him_ a question.

"Did you believe Mother when she said she would kill me?"

"I don't know."

"I think she meant it." Vitani stated, her voice low and unsteady. "All this time since we got here I've been thinking about everything she did. She was a monster. I had no idea of what she took away from us until now; how different our lives could have been if it weren't for her. But still... I can't be okay with her being dead."

He had never said it out loud, but Kovu had come to the same conclusion, right after he was exiled. But that did not make his mother's death less painful. He felt relieved, but sad nonetheless and he did could not stop feeling that way, no matter how hard he tried. Now the same was happening to Vitani.

He sighed deeply as unwanted tears stung his eyes. "I don't want to mourn her either, that's why I didn't talk to you sooner. I'm sorry."

Vitani gave him a weak smile. "What should we do?"

"There's not much we can do, but I know things will be better from now on." Kovu said.

Vitani nodded, feeling more relaxed now that she had gotten everything out of her chest.

"You chose your mate well." she said next, earning a raised eyebrow from her brother. "Kiara's smart. You need her."

Kovu chuckled at the remark. "What about you?" he asked.

"Don't worry about me. Hunting in the Pride Lands is way more fun anyway. I'll be fine." she reassured, back to her usual attitude.

Then, Vitani leaned on her brother's shoulder and corrected herself. "We'll be fine."

From where they sat, they could see the Outlands in the distance; their former home, where they grew up and where they had made so many memories. Kovu rested his head on hers, just like when they were cubs.

This was the closest view they would get of the barren land, because they would not go back. They would start over, and make new memories in their new home.

* * *

 **That was the last chapter, where we finally have the moment the story was always going to lead to: A heart-to-heart between Kovu and Vitani. We can't pretend that they lived 'Happily Ever After' right away, and neither can they, not after their mother and brother died practically the same day. They finally talked about it and feel more at peace with what they lived through. Now it's time for them to move on with their lives. In my version of their origin (I know there are a lot XD) they're both Zira's children and from the same litter.**

 **And yeah, the Lion Guard's back (and Timon and Pumbaa got a mention :D). I wonder if the show will make adults at some point, maybe in the finale.**

 **Thanks for reading! :)**


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